


Solstice Songs

by Erulisse17



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Christmas fic, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, Kylo Ren is a terrible boss, Kylo is Ebenezer Scrooge, Modern AU, Rethinking his life choices, Rey subs in as a Mall Santa, Snark snark everywhere, While Rey yells at him, holiday fic, loosely based on 'A Christmas Carol'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-09-20 16:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17025822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17
Summary: It all started when Finn got sick and Rey offered to cover his shift.As a mall Santa.And then she got caught by his boss.His angry, miserly, unfairly handsome boss.Then there was a snowball fight, and then the elevator got stuck. Not to mention the incident with the mistletoe.And after she lied and said they were dating... Well, you can guess how it went from there.AKA A version of A Christmas Carol, with Kylo being haunted with his own ghosts; Past, Present, and Future.A Writing Den winter exchange fic for Inmyownidiom





	1. On the First Day of Christmas (Past)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Inmyownidiom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inmyownidiom/gifts).



_On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,_   
_A partridge in a pear tree._

* * *

 

 

“Rey, slow down! The food’s not going to disappear you know,” Rose teased as her friend shoveled the bacon mac and cheese into her mouth with frightening efficiency.

 

“Can’t slow down, have to get to work,” Rey told her around a full mouth.

 

“And which job is this? Bike messenger? Barista?”

 

“Dog-walker. Got a filthy rich scary lady who’s too busy to walk her pooch, so I get paid to spend time with a giant black bulldog.”

 

Rose laughed. “Dear Lord, I swear that you and Finn are having a contest to see who has the most jobs. What’s he up to? Three?”

 

“Four.” Rey corrected as she scooped the remnants of the mac and cheese out of the bowl. “He just got hired as a mall Santa.”

 

Her friend’s eyes widened in glee. “As a _what?!_ Oh my God, I need to see this. What mall?”

 

“D’Qar Square. But you didn’t hear it from me,” Rey winked as she grabbed her bag. “Alright, I’m off to loop around the park with a slightly evil dog. Later!”

 

After running off most of Nine-E’s energy (which he felt was highly unnecessary and drooled constantly on her jeans in retribution), Rey returned to her apartment to shower and start dinner. As soon as the spaghetti boiled, the door slammed open to reveal a dark-skinned bearded Santa.

 

“I hate malls.” Finn groaned, flopping onto their couch.

 

“I think the traditional greeting is ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’.” Rey teased, as Finn shot her a death glare.

 

“I have heard more Santa jokes in one day than the rest of my life. And I don’t need any more from you, peanut.”

 

“Did they hire you to be Santa or Scrooge?”

 

“You try ringing a bell for six hours. You’ll lose faith in humanity too. Plus my boss is the literal worst-” He popped his head up from the couch and sniffed hungrily. “Is that spaghetti?”

 

“Maybe. But food is only for good little boys and girls,” Rey winked, passing him a bowl.

 

“Ugh,” Finn rolled his eyes. “This is going to last the whole month, isn’t it?”

 

“Or at least twelve days…”

 

“You’re the worst.”

 

“And a partridge in a pear treeeee!” Rey sang, then dodged the pillow Finn chucked in her direction.

 

…

 

“... so after she asked me why Santa was black this year, I had to tell her that Santa would try to get her a Tiffany necklace for her pony. Then the next kid peed in my lap!”

 

Rey stifled a snort. “That’s terrible.”

 

“And _then_ when I tried to leave, my jerk boss refused to let me leave until my shift was over, so I had to sit for another half hour smelling of piss.” Finn dug into the ice cream with vengeance. “Ugh, this guy is the worst.”

 

“He sounds like it. I’d say he and Nine-E deserve each other, but that might be a disservice to the bulldog.”

 

“Who the hell names a dog Nine-E?”

 

Shrugging, Rey squirted more whipped cream into her bowl. “I dunno. People with more money than sense.”

 

“Tell you what, I’d like to be one of those-” Finn stopped, then placed his hand on his stomach. “Oof.”

 

Rey frowned as her roommate paled. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah, it’s just-” His stomach made an odd noise and Finn gingerly placed his bowl on the table. “You know, maybe the cheap hot dog stand for lunch was a bad call.”

 

“Do you want me to get you some-” Rey started, then was interrupted by Finn bolting for the bathroom.

 

Nine hours and copious amounts of ginger ale later, Rey came in and gently rubbed Finn’s back as he sleepily hugged the toilet.

 

“Finn? I think you need to call in sick to your Santa job.”

 

“What?” He raised his head slowly. “No. It’s purely a temp gig, so there’s no sick leave or anything. I think I’m okay, I can just-”

 

He ducked back into the toilet, and Rey shook her head.

 

“I mean it, Finn. You’re in no shape to-”

 

“No! My boss said that if anyone missed a shift, no matter what the reason, they were fired. I can make it, just gimme a sec.”

 

Glowering at the shower curtain, Rey growled, “Who the hell is this guy anyway? The Grinch?”

 

“I think I’d have noticed if he was green-” Finn joked as he attempted to stand, then promptly slid back onto the floor.

 

“Finn, look, I’ll fill in for you, okay? Just… focus on getting better.”

 

“No, no, peanut, it’s fine, I can-” He stopped as his stomach made another protesting sound, then looked up. “Are you sure?”

 

“Totally. I don’t have any shifts at the coffeehouse today, and I can always walk Nine-E later. If it helps you not get fired, I’m happy to do it.”

 

Sagging in relief, Finn gave her a wan half-smile. “You’re the best, peanut.”

 

“Don’t you forget it!” Rey called out as she went to grab his Santa suit and beard. “Plus, I think this sounds kinda fun!”

 

…

 

“And _then_ I need new Gucci collars for my Yorkshire terrier,” the five-year-old pageant queen continued, “and _then_ I need the latest Kate Spade purse, but made into a backpack, and then-”

 

“Ho, ho, ho!” Rey finally laughed in a low tone that she hoped didn’t sound too forced. “Well, that’s a lot of things to ask for, and there are many needy children around the world who could also use toys, but I’ll talk to the elves and we’ll see what we can do. _Next!”_

 

The five-year-old and her mother, both sporting far more make-up than necessary, glared at her, then flounced away indignantly.

 

Before the ‘Toddlers in Tiaras’ wannabe got past the photo counter, the next little boy threw himself into her lap and started talking a mile-a-minute. “I want a Rubbery Robby for Christmas. He’s real big and strong and can reach up and grab stuff and make his arms all long. My brother wants a dinosaur but that’s because he’s a boring baby that doesn’t know dinosaurs aren’t real but I do know because I’m older and smarter.”

 

“Oh, actually dinosaurs were real-”

 

“Jackie H. in my class says that it’s impossible for Santa to visit every house but I told her that the sleigh is magic and so’s the reindeer, that’s how. Duh.”

 

“That’s right! Magic! Well, I’m glad-”

 

“I’m gonna go get a pretzel now. Can I have a candy cane?”

 

Rey blinked at the sudden subject change, then smiled. “Uh… sure! Here you go. Say cheese!”

 

“Farts!” The boy shouted loudly, and Rey stifled a laugh.

 

“Merry Christmas! Who’s next?”

 

A tiny red-headed girl slowly climbed into her lap and stared at her through giant glasses.

 

“And what do you want for Christmas, little one?” Rey asked in a jovial voice.

 

“I… I’d like all the… the doggies and kitties who don’t have homes to have homes and families.” She whispered. “Can you do that?”

 

Rey promptly teared up, and managed to choke out, “I’ll… I’ll see what I can do. Would you like a candy cane? Here, have a candy cane. Have all the candy canes.”

 

Once the shift was over, Rey smiled and waved at the kids in line, then followed the elf back to the back hallway. “Thanks, Tallie!”

 

“No problem, _Santa_ ,” the girl winked conspiratorially as Rey headed into the breakroom. She pulled down the white beard and grabbed herself a cup of coffee, letting out a long sigh.

 

“Rough day?” An arch baritone inquired from behind her.

 

“Ah, it’s not too bad-” She started as she turned, then froze. A ridiculously tall, and rather handsome man was standing before her, arms crossed, forbidding look on his face.

 

“Who the hell are you?” He demanded after her guilty silence stretched on for too long.

 

“I… I’m the new guy.” Rey told him in her best attempt at a gruff, masculine tone as she buried her chin into her false beard

 

“No, you’re not. You’re not new, you’re not a guy, and you sure as hell aren’t Finn Tuwon, so who the hell are you?”

 

Stalling, Rey coughed and tried to shrug nonchalantly. “Why do you care? Who the hell are you?”

 

“I’m Kylo Ren, and I care because I own this entire complex, so you’re going to tell me everything right now.”

 

“Look, I just… I’m just going to leave.”

 

The man stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and where Tuwon is.”

 

Shoving him back, Rey glared. “Finn is currently deathly ill at home, because you’re a miserly arsehole who doesn’t give sick leave to his employees and threatens to fire people if they have the audacity to be human!”

 

Taken aback, Kylo frowned at her. “It makes no financial sense to give sick leave to seasonal workers who would be employed less than a month.”

 

“Financial sense?!” Rey repeated, outraged. “How about ethical sense? Moral decency?”

 

Snorting, he tilted his head at her. “Right. Because those pay the bills.”

 

Rey gaped at him, then sneered, “Good God, I never thought I’d meet an actual Ebenezer Scrooge. Better watch out for the Ghost of Christmas Past!”

 

He leaned closer and hissed, “Look here you little-”

 

“Hello Ben,” a wry voice interrupted, and they both turned to see an older woman, radiating elegance and amusement, watching from the doorway.

 

Stepping back, Kylo coughed and reddened a little. “Mother,” he nodded.

 

The woman smiled and extended her hand. “Hello, I’m Leia. I’m Ben’s mother.”

 

Rey glanced over at Kylo, who looked almost sheepish, then grinned. “I’m Rey.”

 

“Do you work here?” Leia asked, quirking an eyebrow.

 

“I…” She met Kylo’s gaze, then answered affably, “No, I’m just a friend of one of his employees.”

 

“She’s just visiting,” he agreed quickly.

 

Leia’s eyes flicked between the two of them, the corner of her mouth tugging up. “And you were arguing about…?”

 

Kylo froze, so Rey piped up. “Ethics!”

 

“Well, you’re clearly giving him a run for his money, so good for you.” She jibed, then turned to her son. “You should keep her around. I like her.”

 

 _“Thank you, Mother,”_ he ground out warningly. “I’ll meet you for dinner in a moment.”

 

Unconcerned with Kylo’s tone, Leia smiled and winked. “It was lovely to meet you, Rey.”

 

“Likewise!” Rey called back, then raised a cheeky eyebrow. “She seems nice. Wonder what she would think of your ‘morals don’t pay bills’ philosophy?”

 

“They don’t,” he replied darkly, then rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Alright, fine. Tell Tuwon that as long as he shows up for his next shift, I’ll let this… ridiculousness slide.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes and drawled sarcastically, “How very generous of you,”

 

“As a matter of fact, it is.” He growled.

 

“I’m sure!”

 

“Good!”

 

“Fine! Bye forever, Scrooge!”

 

“Promise?!”

 

As Rey marched outside, belatedly pulling her beard up as a few kids stared at her in horror, she grumbled darkly, “If I ever see that pompous, heartless, miserable skinflint again, it’ll be too soon.”


	2. Let It Snow, Let It Snow (Present)

_Oh, the weather outside is frightful_

_But the fire is so delightful_

_And since we've no place to go_

_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow_

* * *

  


“Well Ben, do you have anything in particular you’d like to talk about today?” His therapist inquired, tucking a lock of her purple hair behind her ear.

 

“Not really,” he muttered, slouching further into the armchair.

 

“Anything new happen recently?” Holdo asked, unfazed by his attitude.

 

He shrugged. “Business is improving, although not as well as-”

 

“Ben, remember our rule? No work talk here.”

 

Sighing, he crossed his arms and mumbled, “Fine. What am I allowed to talk about?”

 

“Anything besides the business,” Holdo answered calmly. “You often use it as a smokescreen to distract from other parts of your life. What about… new interactions? Have you had any interesting conversations with anyone recently?”

 

Opening his mouth to snap ‘No’, a vision of _that girl_ suddenly flashed across his mind. Looking oddly authoritative in her red Santa suit and faux beard, shoving him back as her righteous anger echoed in his memory.

 

_“Never thought I’d meet an actual Ebenezer Scrooge!”_

 

“Do arguments count?” He responded sarcastically, then frowned as Holdo’s eyes narrowed in interest.

 

“Why yes they do. Who did you argue with?”

 

“No one. A nobody.”

 

“Hmm.” Holdo’s pen scratched on the paper. “And what did you argue about?”

 

_Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “She seems nice. Wonder what she would think of your ‘morals don’t pay bills’ philosophy?”_

 

But she hadn’t ratted him out. Wasn’t afraid of him.

 

“Ethics.” He finally said.

 

“Oh? The ethics of what?”

 

_Hazel eyes glared at him, her dark brows framing her face as she snarled, “You’re a miserly arsehole who doesn’t give sick leave to his employees and threatens to fire people if they have the audacity to be human!”_

 

“Business.” He snarked. “Can’t talk about it. Your rule.”

 

The older woman stared at him pensively, then smiled. “Of course. Well, perhaps we can discuss the upcoming holidays. I know we’ve touched on your childhood Christmases before, but what about this year?”

 

“I’ll be home, alone, and hopefully unbothered by any of the other idiots that celebrate this idiotic facade.”

 

“And in an ideal world?”

 

Kylo frowned. “What?”

 

“In an ideal world, how would you like the holidays to go? If you could imagine a perfect Christmas, what would it look like?” Holdo inquired, quirking her head to the side. “Big? Small? With friends? Family?”

 

“The same. Alone. Quiet. By myself, with no one-”

 

He stopped as he remembered an illustration from a long-forgotten book, the two parents sitting in front of a log fire, holding hands, smiling and sipping from mugs as their child played with a toy car beneath a heavily decorated tree. When he was little, he thought the picture was exactly what Christmas looked like.

 

Never in his family though. There were galas to attend, speeches to give, campaigns to manage, races to win. He was always left alone with mountains of presents and a half-attentive nanny, sent to bed before his parents returned.

 

But perhaps, if things were different, if his family was different, if _he_ was different…

 

In an ideal world, perhaps he would be sitting in one of the chairs, contentedly sipping cider and holding hands with someone else. Someone who smiled at him, argued amiably about books and philosophy, sparks lighting up her hazel eyes as she-

 

“Ben?”

 

Jumping a little, scowling at the interruption as much as the image his mind had presented to him, he stood abruptly.

 

“As I said, I’d rather be alone. If you’ll excuse me, I believe that our time is finally up. Good day.”

 

Ignoring Holdo’s interested stare, Kylo shrugged on his jacket and stomped outside, grumbling to himself about nosy therapists and stupid traditions and dumb snow everywhere, making everything cold and wet and miserable-

 

_Bam!_

 

A sudden, freezing ball of ice shattered against the back of his head, stopping him in his tracks as he tried to figure out where on earth the attack had come from.

 

“Ha!” A victorious laugh echoed from behind the small hill of snow. “I got you! I told you, Rose, you need constant vigilan-”

 

He swivelled around angrily to see _that girl_ \- Rey, his internal voice reminded him in far too familiar a tone - staring at him open-mouthed in a mix of shock and horror.

 

“What. The. Hell!” Kylo shouted at her, angrily brushing the frozen water out of his hair.

 

“I am so sorry! I thought you were my friend Rose! She works in this complex and gets out right around this time, and I saw some shiny black hair and-”

 

“You threw a snowball at me because of my _hair?!”_

 

Her stance quickly turned from apologetic to defensive. “It’s not my fault you have girl hair!”

 

“Well it’s not my fault you’re a crazy person who attacks random strangers because they might be your friend!” He yelled back. “It’s clearly a wonder you have any!”

 

“With that attitude, I’m sure you have none!” Rey shot back, and the comment struck so close to home (especially with all of the unpleasant memories Holdo insisted on bringing up, and how unsettling the vision of Rey in his imagined Christmas was), that Kylo found himself scooping up a clump of snow and pelting it at her with all his might.

 

Since he hadn’t packed it down at all, it immediately broke into a shower of snow that covered all of Rey’s face and hair that wasn’t protected by her white beanie.

 

Both of them stared at the other as the impact of his actions settled around them. Rey finally wiped her mouth, then bared her teeth in a savage grin.

 

“Oh. It. Is. _On!”_ She flung out the challenge and a perfectly aimed snowball at the same time, and Kylo found himself diving for cover behind a tree.

 

Trying to remember how on earth made a decent snowball while under assault from Rey, who was steadily landing shots closer and closer to his position, almost as if she was bending bullets around the tree a la Angelina Jolie in _Wanted_ , Kylo attempted to build a decent arsenal. Once Rey had to stop to reload behind her giant tree, he struck by using his longer arms to launch the snowballs in quick succession as he found new cover.

 

“You throw like a teddy bear!” Rey called out before his next shot caught the side of her head.

 

“Ha! Who looks like a polar bear now?!” He gloated, and the power of the smile she tossed him knocked him completely off balance.

 

The spark in her eyes, the challenge in her face, the grin of defiance stole his breath in a way that he was not at all ready to deal with.

 

“You do!” She shouted, then leapt up and grabbed the branch above her. Kylo realized far too late that the branch extended all the way down the hill, to just above where he was standing. The snow-laden leaves dumped their haul directly on top of his head, as well as down the collar of his shirt and coat, making him the sole victim of a mini-avalanche.

 

“Ha-ha!” Rey crowed, dancing with glee. “Concede, and I will accept your surrender graciously.”

 

He opened his mouth to answer that there is no honor in defeat, and how he would conquer in the end, mind trying to recall a Shakespeare speech he could repurpose, when he glanced up to see Holdo watching him from the window, a small, satisfied smile on her face.

 

Suddenly aware of the grin on his face, how ridiculous he must look, how this was probably all some elaborate set-up on Holdo’s part, or at least a cruel trick from the universe to humiliate him, Kylo scowled and slapped viciously at his soaked jacket to dislodge at least some of the snow.

 

“The hell is wrong with you?” He hissed angrily, and Rey’s face turned from dramatic triumph to genuine confusion.

 

“What?” She asked, and he pointedly ignored the small note of hurt in her tone.

 

“What the hell kind of immature, clueless child tries to pick a snowball fight with random people on the street? I could charge you with assault!”

 

Her eyebrows knit together in injured surprise, then her face darkened. “Fine! Try it. Only a true Grinch would call the cops because God forbid anyone have fun around you!”

 

“Who said I had fun!?” He huffed as he marched away to his car.

 

“No one! Because you having fun is a cosmic impossibility!” Her voice sniped at him seconds before he slammed his car door closed and peeled out, too galled and upset and confused at what the hell he was doing to care about ice or speed limits.

 

…

 

Rey crossed her arms and glared at the Silencer as it sped out of the parking lot.

 

“Rey?” She turned to see Rose crunching through the snow towards her. “What are you doing here? Wait, is this revenge for chucking that snowball at you in the coffeeshop? I swear I waiting until no one else was around so you wouldn’t get in trouble!”

 

“No. I mean, actually yes, I was planning on it, but I thought someone else was you and threw a snowball at them.”

 

Rose’s eyes widened. “What? Oh no! Did they get hurt? You know you have an arm like a freight train.”

 

“No, he was not hurt,” Rey responded, rolling her eyes. “In fact, he threw a snowball right back at me, so really, the fight was his fault.”

 

“Wait, wait. You had a snowball fight with a perfect stranger?” Rose’s voice was a combination of impressed and horrified.

 

“He was not a stranger. He’s actually one of the worst human beings on the planet, I’ll have you know, and not just according to me, but according to Finn too.”

 

“Wait, what? How does Finn know him?”

 

“Because he’s Finn’s…” Time slowed as the reality of who exactly Kylo Ren was and what she had done crashed down around her.

 

“Finn’s what?”

 

“Finn’s… boss.” Rey ground out, then slapped her forehead in chagrin.

 

_“Shit.”_


	3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Future)

_ Have yourself a merry little Christmas _

_ Let your heart be light _

_ From now on your troubles will be out of sight _

* * *

 

 

“Merry Happy Christmas Eve Day!” Rey shouted as Finn stumbled into the kitchen, grasping for coffee.

 

“Shhhhhhhh,” Finn hissed, waving her to the side as he reached vaguely for a mug.

 

Rey smiled as she placed a warm cup into his hand, then clapped him on the back. “I’m off to the coffee shop, then I’m going on a run with Nine-E, so I should be back the same time your Santa shift from Hell is over.”

 

Finn thumped his head on the counter with a groan. “Oh God, don’t remind me. The line yesterday wrapped around the food court twice - I don’t even want to think about how many last-minute parents are gonna be dragging screaming children to sit in my lap. Besides my evil Grinch boss glaring at me every time I don’t have a giant fake smile plastered on my face.”

 

Patting him sympathetically on the shoulder, Rey bit her lip, then cautiously ventured, “Hey, your boss hasn’t been treating you… differently, has he?”

 

Finn glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

 

“I know he’s kinda grumpy normally, but the last couple days, has he been… meaner to you?”

 

Frowning in suspicion, Finn narrowed his eyes. “Not that I can think of. Why?”

 

“No reason love you gotta go see you tonight bye!” Rey shouted all in a rush as she dashed out the door.

 

After a hectic day at the coffee shop, serving what felt like a thousand peppermint chocolate mochas, Rey revelled in the chance to run off the contact sugar high at the park with Nine-E. The bulldog was far more reticent about jogging around the sidewalk, especially with the high winds gusting around them, but eventually gave in with a low, constant grumble of protest.

 

Once she was sufficiently out of breath, and Nine-E was lagging more from exhaustion than reluctance, Rey declared them both done. Sweaty, but happy, she got herself and the bulldog some water, then walked back to the Finalizer tower. She explained to security that she was there to return Nine-E to Ms. Phasma on the 32nd floor, and after giving her outfit and general appearance a skeptical look, she was allowed through the shining chrome doors. 

 

Grateful to be out of the wind, Rey walked along the polished marble floor gingerly, fully aware that the bathrooms in these places were worth more than her entire apartment. As she made her way across the lobby, she spotted the elevator doors just starting to close.

 

“Hold the lift!” She shouted, breaking into a jog and dragging a growling Nine-E behind her.

 

Although she was certain the person inside could hear her, the doors continued to shut. Emitting her own version of Nine-E’s growl, not willing to wait another fifteen minutes for the next elevator, Rey dove inside at the last second, the doors closing just behind the bulldog’s tail.

 

“Thanks for nothing, you-” Rey started, turning to glare at the inconsiderate douche who wouldn’t even press a single button to help someone else-

 

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped open, and every coherent thought fled her mind at the sight of the absurdly tall, unfairly handsome, currently scowling, Kylo Ren.

 

“Shit,” fell out of her mouth before she realized she was speaking out loud.

 

The elevator dinged, Kylo’s eyebrow raised, and he deadpanned, “Likewise.”

 

Wincing, Rey attempted to apologize. “No, no, I didn’t mean- I just- You caught me by surprise is all.”

 

“Mm-hmm,” was his only response before crossing his arms and staring at the doors.

 

Rey glared at him, reached out to punch the button for the 32nd floor, then crossed her own arms and put her right foot up against the wall behind her, perfectly content to ride the elevator up in contentious silence.

 

Until the power went out.

 

The elevator jerked to a sudden stop, throwing Rey off balance and sending her careening sideways. To her utter horror, she felt herself crash into Kylo Ren’s (rather nicely toned) torso, and he let out a surprised “Oof” as he fell to the floor.

 

Attempting to untangle herself from the mess of limbs and hair, Rey sputtered, “Oh my God, I am so sorry, are you o-” and looked up to find herself barely an inch away from his face.

 

Time screeched to a halt as she stared, mesmerized, into his eyes - not brown, as she thought before, but an oddly beautiful two-toned combination of honey and caramel circling his irises, hooded by long, dark brows. Moles were scattered across his cheeks and forehead, and his long, aquiline nose looked to have been broken before. But all that fell away at the pure energy that sparked along their gaze jolted her heart into overdrive.

 

“I…” He started, also looking lost for words as his Adam’s apple bobbled uncertainly.

 

Suddenly realizing how incredibly inappropriate this was, and remembering the fact that he actually hated her, Rey scrambled to the opposite corner of the elevator.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

 

“No, it’s-” He began at the same time, then winced and looked around in the dim light. “What do you think happened?”

 

“It was pretty windy outside. Maybe something happened to one of the power lines?” Rey hazarded, reaching for the call button. “Hello? Hello?”

 

“Please stay calm,” an automated voice responded. “Assistance is on its way. Please stay calm. Assistance is-”

 

“Well, that’s of zero help. Guess we’re stuck here.” Rey sighed, scratching Nine-E’s head as the bulldog narrowed his eyes in displeasure.

 

“Great!” Kylo growled, slamming his foot into the wall. “Just great. This fits perfectly with this whole kriffing week.”

 

Nine-E sneezed huffily in response as Rey widened her eyes. “Are… are you alright?”

 

“It’s none of your business!” He shouted, then crossed his arms.

 

“O-kay. Sorry I asked.” Rey muttered under her breath, then pulled out her phone and frowned at the ‘No service’ notification.

 

They sat in terse silence for a few minutes, punctuated only by Nine-E’s snorts as he made himself comfortable on the marble floor.

 

Letting out a long breath, Kylo finally mumbled, “Sorry.”

 

Rey glanced over with a raised eyebrow.

 

“This has been a… difficult week for me.”

 

“Uh-huh,” she replied drily. “Not a big fan of the holidays? What a surprise!”

 

He whirled around, an angry retort already on his lips when all the air seemed to go out of him. Rubbing his forehead, he murmured, “My mentor’s funeral was today.”

 

Rey blinked. “Oh.” She hadn’t actually considered that there might have been a reason for his extra-grumpy mood. Or his all-black attire. She had simply assumed that was his natural state.

 

Grimacing a little, she offered a soft, “I’m sorry. That sounds really tough.”

 

“You know, I thought the funeral would be difficult, but it was…” His face twisted as he tried to think of a word.

 

“Sad?” She ventured.

 

“A sham!” He shouted, pent up anger and frustration pouring out in a flood of words. “The whole thing was a performance for the few rivals and cronies that bothered to show up! Oh the eulogies were mewling enough, with the occasional tear and sniffle, but the second they were off the stage, everyone was whispering about how  _ awful  _ he was and how glad they were that someone  _ new  _ was going to be in charge and that everything was finally going to change for the  _ better _ .”

 

Spinning around, he gestured emphatically at her. “He was a  _ titan  _ in the world of finance. He changed the financial economics of the world, but does anyone care about that? No! They only care about their petty grievances.” 

 

He crossed his arms and glared at the elevator buttons, every muscle tense with fury.

 

“Did he care about people?” Rey asked cautiously, causing him to turn and frown at her.

 

“What?”

 

“Did he care about people? The ones he worked with, who worked for him? His family? Or friends?”

 

“Why… What does that matter?” Kylo sputtered. “He was one of the most important men in the world of business! He didn’t have time to worry about what people thought of him!”

 

Shrugging, Rey fiddled with her necklace. “It’s just… If you spend your whole life not caring about people… People aren’t really going to care about you.”

 

Kylo stared at her as if the thought had never occurred to him.

 

She scooted a little closer. “I mean, you said he’s your mentor. Did he care about you?” 

 

“I… He…” His brows furrowed as he gestured irritably. “He wanted me to be better. To grow past my flaws. He had a vision of what I could be, which is more than anyone else-”

 

He stopped himself, then picked off an invisible piece of lint on his coat in silence. Rey, sensing there was more behind his words, waited patiently until he shifted and spoke in a low voice.

 

“I wanted to be like him. Powerful. Answering to no one. Not living in anyone else’s shadow. A name that commanded respect. I thought everyone would want that, or at least understand it. But sitting there, listening to them gossip and whisper, it was almost like seeing…”

 

Trailing off, he drew his long legs up and looped his arms around them. Rey moved a bit closer and slowly, as if she didn’t want to spook him, laid a soft hand on his shoulder.

 

Kylo glanced up at her, surprise revealing the vulnerability behind his eyes as heat danced up her arm. The glimpse of pain and loneliness called to Rey so strongly that she found herself leaning forward without any direct input from her brain.

 

More shocking was the fact that Kylo seemed to be drawing closer to her as well, his breath ghosting over her face as she couldn’t quite tear her gaze away from his mouth, her eyes closing as she wondered what he would taste like, how his arms would feel pressed against her back, how his hair would feel tangled in her fingers, his nose brushing gently across her own as her lips parted-

 

“Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?”

 

Both of them snapped their eyes open as the metallic voice echoed from the speakers. For the second time that day, Rey found herself scrambling backward to the opposite corner of the elevator, bumping up against Nine-E, who shot her a rebuking look for interrupting his sleep.

 

Kylo was still sitting in his corner, staring at her with wide eyes, as if deciding whether or not to flee, as the voice called again. 

 

“Hello? We got a report that this elevator was stuck?”

 

“Uh… Yes! We’re… I mean, it’s stuck.” Rey answered, wincing at her own startled volume.

 

“Okay, we’re working on it right now. Let me know when the lights come back on.”

 

There were a few distant clangs, and then the lights flashed back to full power, blinding all of the inhabitants, two of whom growled in annoyance.

 

“Lights are back.” Rey told the man, watching Kylo as a myriad of expressions crossed his face. 

 

“Gotcha. Okay, we should have you guys moving in just a-”

 

The elevator jerked upward, breaking their gaze before resuming its journey upward.

 

“You should be a-okay now!” The speaker announced with pride, and Rey felt her heart drop as Kylo stood and looked away.

 

“Right. Thanks.” She answered flatly, getting to her feet and picking up Nine-E’s leash.

 

As the bell rang for the 32nd floor, they both tried to step through, Rey’s shoulder bouncing off of Kylo’s massive frame as energy fizzled where their arms touched. Then followed a scene straight from a Three Stooges comedy as they both stepped back, gestured to the other, then moved forward again.

 

The bulldog snorted in derision as they alternated between making and avoiding awkward eye contact, settling the issue by yanking Rey through the door and down toward his home.

 

After explaining and apologizing to a skeptical Ms. Phasma about the delay in getting her precious pooch home, Rey thanked her profusely for understanding, pocketed her tip, then headed back to the elevator.

 

She lifted her eyes from the patterned carpet briefly to see Kylo standing uncertainly in his doorway, at the end of the corridor. Biting her lip, she let out a decisive breath and walked slowly his way, causing him to look around in something akin to panic.

 

“Hey, before I go, I just…” She shifted her weight a little, then glanced up. “I just wanted to say sorry.”

 

He frowned in confusion until Rey continued, “Even if your mentor didn’t have a lot of people who liked him, he clearly meant a lot to you. So, I’m sorry.”

 

His shoulders dropped a little, as if a weight he didn’t realize he was carrying had lifted. “I…” Meeting her eyes, more tension went out of his frame. “Thank you.”

 

As she walked back toward the elevator, a reassuring ding indicating it was up and running still, she peeked over her shoulder to see Kylo watching her, his eyes and face unreadable. Giving him a small nod, Rey stepped inside the elevator and fervently hoped it would deliver her to the ground floor safely - and that Christmas itself would be much less… complicated.


	4. For Auld Lang Syne (Christmas Day)

_ For auld lang syne, my dear, _

_ for auld lang syne, _

_ we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, _

_ for auld lang syne. _

* * *

 

“Paige, I cannot believe you got us in here! This is amazing!” Rey gushed as she and Rose gaped at the elaborate marble pillars in the event hall while Finn dodged a group of tuxes to grab a canape.

 

“Well, working for the Senator has pretty awesome perks,” the oldest Tico smiled. “Besides, this counts as like, three Christmas gifts.”

 

“Nice try, Paige,” Rose teased as she bumped her sister’s hip. 

 

Paige laughed, then consulted her tablet. “Okay, I’ve got to go check on the kitchen, you guys have fun! Stay out of trouble!”

 

“Will do!” Rose called back, then snagged a champagne glass for herself and Rey. “To a super fancy Christmas!”

 

“To a night of pretending to be the one percent!” Rey saluted back, and the girls clinked glasses with a smile.

 

“Guys,” Finn whispered excitedly as he slid a full bowl of cocktail shrimp on their table. “They have the most delicious food here. It’s like the best buffet ever!”

 

“Slow down on the shrimp there, buffet boy,” Rey cautioned while shaking her head. “I’ve already stayed up one night with you driving the porcelain bus. I do not need a repeat experience.”

 

“That was from a bad hot dog. This food costs too much money to get me sick!”

 

Rose frowned. “That’s not how-”

 

“Grab me some bruschetta!” Rey shouted as Finn dashed off to ambush the next waiter’s tray of food.

 

Rose rolled her eyes fondly. “You guys and free food.”

 

“Hey, free food is free food.” Rey told her, scarfing down two shrimp and taking in the scenery of richly dressed guests. “And this stuff is-”

 

Her eyes fell upon a familiar, absurdly tall figure, and Rey promptly choked.

 

Rose thumped her back helpfully. “Are you okay? What on earth happened? Did you eat the tail?”

 

“Wha- No! I’m not that dumb. I just… got caught off-guard, is all.” 

 

Rose tilted her head. “By what?”

 

“Umm...”

 

“Here you go, fresh bruschetta for my ladies.” Finn beamed, then frowned at the lack of reaction. “What are you guys looking at?” He followed Rey’s gaze, then yelped and ducked down behind their table.

 

“Finn!” Rose hissed. “This is a nice place! No hiding under tablecloths!”

 

“The hell is my boss doing here?” He stage whispered back, and Rose glanced up. 

 

“Your boss?” She turned to Rey. “The guy you threw a snowball at?”

 

“You threw a snowball at my boss?” Finn squeaked in disbelief.

 

“Actually, she had a full snowball fight with him,” Rose tattled, and Rey glared.

 

“You  _ what?!” _

 

“It was a mistake, okay? And I didn’t do it on purpose! I thought he was Rose!”

 

Finn furrowed his brows, looked between their petite Asian friend and the lanky white man in a tuxedo. “Sure. Because they look so much alike.”

 

“I only saw him from the- Nevermind! Look, if we just stay away from him, everything will be fine. Now, who needs a drink besides me?”

 

As she struggled to balance the two cocktails and a glass of wine in her hands, Rey thought that maybe the distraction of alcohol wasn’t as great a plan as she originally believed. The tip of her tongue sticking out in concentration, she made it halfway across the hall before someone jostled her elbow, sending all three drinks crashing to the ground.

 

A low voice came from beside her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see-”

 

“Watch where you’re going, you tw-” Rey’s mouth snapped shut as she looked up to see a familiar face.

 

With an odd amount of humor, the corner of Kylo Ren’s mouth tugged up. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were about to call me a twit.”

 

“...Yes. Let’s go with that.” She answered, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

 

Motioning to a waiter to clear the glass away, Kylo handed her a napkin. “Are you alright?”

 

She tried to dab the worst of the stain away from her dress, grimacing at the fact that not only did he now think she was a klutz, but a rude klutz at that.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. At least it’s a dark dress.” She mumbled, trying to unbunch the wrinkles from where she had twisted it.

 

“Spin.”

 

Rey frowned at him. “What?”

 

“Spin.” He instructed. “It’ll make the dress hang correctly.”

 

After scrutinizing his face for a moment, and detecting no laughter, Rey sighed and shrugged. “Why not. I already look ridiculous.”

 

She spun once, twice, then held out a hand to stop herself before she got dizzy. Glancing down, she was surprised to see that her dress now hung smoothly to the ground.

 

“Huh.” She said finally, then realized she was holding on to Kylo’s arm for support. Before she could snatch it away, he reached down and tugged the skirt a little to the left.

 

“There,” he told her in a low rumble, and that damn heat began to build up under her hand again. “You look lovely.”

 

Coughing, she let go of his arm and let out a brief, “Thank you.”

 

“Here, let me get you new drinks.”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

 

“Please. I insist. It’s the least I can do.” He offered, and those amber eyes captured hers before she could refuse.

 

“So…” He started as the bartender worked on their drinks. “Why are you here?”

 

Rey crossed her arms defensively. “I was invited.”

 

Wincing, he tried, “I didn’t mean… I just wanted to know by whom.”

 

“By my friend. Why are you here?” She countered, and he sighed.

 

“I was invited by my mother.”

 

“Your mother?” Rey repeated, the memory of the elegant woman shaking her hand and teasing him to ‘keep her around’ suddenly flashed across her mind. “Does she know the Senator?”

 

Kylo half-shrugged uncomfortably. “She…”

 

A squeal of feedback echoed from the front of the room as a woman stood up and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the host of our Christmas gala, Senator Leia Organa-Solo!”

 

The crowd around them burst into applause as Rey’s mouth dropped open.

 

“Your mom… is the Senator.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh.”

 

The bartender handed them their drinks, and Kylo took two of them before Rey could protest. He motioned his arm in an ‘after you’ gesture, and Rey started leading him to her table.

 

“Complicated family history?” She guessed as the room quieted down.

 

Kylo sent her a sharp look. “How did you know?”

 

“Well, seeing as how her name is Leia Organa-Solo and yours is Kylo Ren, I figured something must have happened. People only change their names during a mid-life crisis, which I’d say you’re a bit young for, to become a rock star, or because of complicated family stuff.”

 

They walked a few steps more in silence, then Kylo asked, “Familiar with that, are you?”

 

“Not really. I mean, I might be, if you know… I had a family.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“It’s okay though. The best family is the one you make on your own, right?” She said, smiling at him to ease his discomfort, although her answer almost seemed to throw him more off-balance.

 

“There you are, we were about to send out a search-” Finn greeted, then blanched and tried to dive under the table again before Rose grabbed his arm.

 

“Thanks Rey.” Rose smiled, then asked a bit too innocently. “Who’s your friend?”

 

“This is… Kylo. This is my friend Rose, and you already know Finn.” Rey introduced with a glare at Rose as she passed out the drinks.

 

Kylo nodded stiffly as Rose stifled a giggle and Finn busied himself with drinking his cocktail. The awkward silence stretched on for a minute before Rey all but burst out, “Who wants some food? I’ll go grab some.”

 

As she marched away, she heard Rose inquire archly, “So, Kylo, how do you know Rey?”

 

She was filling her plate with an assortment of snacks when a voluptuous blonde sidled up to her with a raised eyebrow. 

 

“Well hello there.”

 

Rey glanced around, saw no one else, then slowly answered, “Hi?”

 

“I’m Bazine. And you are?”

 

“Rey.”

 

Bazine tilted her head curiously. “I saw you talking to Kylo Ren. How do you know him?”

 

“Oh, he’s a friend. He was just helping me carry some drinks.”

 

“Hm.” The blonde raised a condescending eyebrow. “He’s a little rich for your blood, isn’t he?”

 

Rey stared. “What?”

 

“Look, it’s obvious you’re making a play for him, but, one professional to another, you need to set your sights a little lower.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

The woman shrugged knowingly. “He’s one of the most eligible real estate developers on the coast. If you want to snatch him up, you need either looks or money to tempt him with, and you’re a bit short on both.”

 

Rey jaw dropped open. “Look here you-”

 

“Everything alright, Rey?” A low baritone came from her left.

 

Bazine’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at Kylo’s use of her name. “Oh, do you know each other? I would think you two would move in… different circles.”

 

Kylo frowned at the implication, while Rey cast aside every filter and rational thought and somehow allowed, “We’re dating,” to leave her mouth.

 

Wrinkling her nose in distaste, the blonde scoffed, “Really?”

 

Turning his look of disdain at Bazine to a look of absolute bafflement at Rey, Kylo, to his credit, only took a moment to recover before sliding his hand around her waist.

 

“Yes.” He answered definitively.

 

“Huh. So, Rey. What do you do, exactly?”

 

Forcing herself to answer without blushing, Rey responded, “I’m a barista.”

 

Kylo’s brows furrowed a bit. “I thought you were a dog walker?”

 

“I am. And a bike messenger.”

 

“And the occasional Santa?” He teased, and Rey felt a genuine smile tug at her lips.

 

“If needed,” she jibed back.

 

Bazine, stung at behind excluded, grinned cruelly. “Ah. You collect side gigs?”

 

“I earn an honest living. Not all of us can live off of other people’s money.” Rey smiled tightly, and Kylo’s hand shifted on her hip.

 

“If you’ll excuse us,” he interrupted, trying to draw Rey away.

 

“Oh, but you haven’t kissed yet,” Bazine drawled, then pointed up to the large branch of mistletoe hanging directly about them. “Although I’m sure there’s some reason Kylo can’t. A pressing engagement elsewhere? Or perhaps a cold? More’s the pity.”

 

Rey opened her mouth to let Bazine know exactly where she could shove her pity when strong, soft lips covered her own.

 

If she thought that the energy between their hands in the elevator was heated, it was nothing compared to the blazing bonfire that ignited across every inch of her skin. Her hands wrapped themselves around his neck and up into his hair, while his large palm caressed the small of her back and his fingers gently traced the curve of her jaw as she stood on her tiptoes to press herself closer to his chest.

 

They finally parted at Bazine’s miffed, “Hmph!” and while the blonde flounced away to cuddle up to a balding man with gold rings, Rey found herself staring into Kylo’s amber eyes with a mixture of shock, stupor, and a  _ terrifying  _ amount of desire.

 

“I…” She stuttered, then gulped. “I have to go.”

 

She fled out a side door into the night, breathing heavily and cursing as she tried to navigate the icy patches in her heels.

 

“Rey!”

 

Picking up her pace, Rey missed the gleam of black ice to her right and skidded on the slick surface before her legs flew out from under her. She careened towards the ground until strong arms halted her fall.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked as he gently set her down on a dry section of the sidewalk.

 

“No I’m not alright! Look, I know that everyone in there makes a million times more than I do, but that shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to look down on me or for me to feel ashamed of how hard I work to put food on my table!” She shouted at him, and he seemed somewhat taken aback at the force of her response.

 

“You shouldn’t-”

 

“And I know I don’t have a big normal job, but I do what I can, how I can, and it’s not like jobs are falling out of the sky for me or anything!”

 

“I’m sure they’re n-”

 

“So if you have something to say, about who I am or what I do or how much I make, then go ahead! Just say it!”

 

“Would you like to get dinner with me?”

 

Rey, all set to release her fury on him, suddenly stopped and stared.

 

“What?”

 

“Would you like to get dinner?” Kylo repeated patiently. 

 

Blinking, Rey turned her head in confusion, rubbed her forearms, then finally asked, “Why?”

 

He sighed, took off his jacket, draped it around her shoulders, then stepped back and scratched the back of his neck. 

 

“Because you don’t care who I am or what my name is. And you care an exhausting amount about what people do and how people act. Because I like arguing with you.”

 

And as Rey pulled his jacket closer, his particular scent filling her nose, Kylo glanced up with a wry smile, “And because I’m hungry.”

 

That got a small chuckle out of her. 

 

“Okay.”

 

Kylo started. “Really?”

 

Smiling, Rey nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Oh. Okay.”

 

A few moments passed, and Rey tilted her head. “Did you mean now, or…?”

 

“Yes, yes, I did mean… Are you free… Or, did you want to…?”

 

Rey shook her head at him. “Do you even know if anything is open?”

 

“I… didn’t think of that.” He admitted after a slight pause, looking up as Rey laughed kindly and pulled out her phone.

 

“Okay, there’s a Chinese place called Lucky Star that’s open til one. How’s that sound?”

 

He drew forward and offered his hand. “It sounds perfect. Shall we?”

 

An hour later, they were bickering amiably, battling for the meat in the hot pot, and giggling over their fortune cookies. And as this Christmas grew to a close, Kylo realized that while this was nothing like how he imagined, it was exactly where he wanted to be.


End file.
